The Dance Series
by Sita Masters
Summary: What do you do when the music isn’t there, but the steps are?
1. Float Me a Dance

Spoilers: None really. Season 5 I guess.  
  
Lyrics: "Dust in the Wind" by Kansas  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Umph!" With a grunt, Buffy landed on her back and stared up at Giles. "Okay, what was that?"  
  
He extended a hand and helped her up. "You don't expect me to do the same training routine with you every time now, do you? I'm keeping you on your toes."  
  
She answered that with a gentle leg sweep to land him on his back. "And what about you?" She smiled down at him and crossed her arms.  
  
He scowled. "Not funny." He sat up slowly and they both heard his back pop in several places. "Good lord. I suppose I am a bit out of shape."  
  
Buffy frowned and helped him up. "Sorry, I didn't mean that you..."  
  
He waved a hand. "It's quite all right. I'm not getting any younger you know. I can't very well train like you do."  
  
"But you could do something." She paused to think. "What about dancing? You could dance!"  
  
"Buffy, I've seen the way your generation dances and I think I'll pass."  
  
She giggled. "Okay, so we won't have you slam dancing at a rave. How about this." She took his hands and placed them on her waist.  
  
"What are you doing?" He looked down at her puzzled.  
  
She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm going to dance with you."  
  
"We don't have any music." He kept his hands on her waist though.  
  
"So? We can make some up. C'mon this'll be fun." She smiled. "May I have this dance?"  
  
He couldn't help but smile at her. "Since you've already gotten us into position I suppose I shouldn't deny a lady a dance." He removed one of his hands from her waist and took one of her hands in it. "But I still think we need music. So..." He smiled and sang softly as he twirled her about the training room. "I close my eyes only for a moment and the moments gone..."  
  
Buffy closed her eyes and let him lead her around, the entire room disappearing as she fell into his voice.  
  
"Same old song, just a drop of water in an endless sea. All we do crumbles to the ground though we refuse to see. Dust in the wind. All we are is dust in the wind...."  
  
The steps seemed to flow naturally and she felt right in his dancing embrace. She'd open her eyes occasionally and find him smiling down at her, still singing gently, his eyes so soft. But the lyrics were sad. And all too true.  
  
"Don't hang on. Nothing lasts forever but the Earth and sky. It slips away. And all your money won't another minute buy. Dust in the wind. All we are is dust in the wind. Dust in the wind. Everything is dust in the wind...."  
  
He'd lost his smile by the time he finished singing, but not the softness in his eyes. They stood there, still in their dancing pose and watched each other for several moments. Neither was sure what to say.  
  
He took the first step back. "Thank you, Buffy."  
  
She smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Giles." But there was still something missing. She stepped up to him and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you for everything."  
  
He smiled and pinked slightly. "You're more welcome than you know."  
  
She sighed and turned around. They were in the training room again. Not that they had ever really left, but while they were dancing it felt as if they were another world away. She turned back to him to find him still smiling at her. She blushed slightly. "We need to do this more often," she proclaimed. "To keep you in shape I mean."  
  
He nodded. "Should I invest in a stereo or a damnable CD player?"  
  
She laughed. "If you want to. But I kinda liked that singing."  
  
"Then singing it shall be." He picked up a punching mitt. "But, uh, I'd like to keep this between you and I. For our benefit. I sing better without the others here to provide peanut gallery comments."  
  
It was her turn to nod. "Done." She stretched. "So I'll see you here tomorrow bright and early for your next dancing lesson."  
  
He chuckled. "Yes, ma'am." 


	2. Smooth It Out

Lyrics: "Black Velvet" by Alannah Myles  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Buffy was actually skipping as she approached the Magic Box. They had made two days a week set aside for their "dance lessons." She anticipated them all the time. She'd brought a CD player last week. Giles had asked if she got tired of his voice and she told him that she just wanted to contribute to the lessons more. He agreed that was a good point and he also didn't want to end up losing his voice.  
  
She smiled as she clinched the CD in her hand and passed by him at the counter with a wave, heading straight for the training room. She popped in the CD and rushed into the tiny bathroom to change quickly. When she emerged, he still hadn't come into the training room. She heard the voices of Anya and Xander and knew he was instructing them to stay and watch the store. Buffy smiled and set the CD player up. She turned out the lights and waited in a dark corner of the room with the remote.  
  
Giles crept into the training room slowly. "Buffy?" He heard a click and soon the sound of a smooth guitar lick.  
  
//Mississippi in the middle of a dryspell...//  
  
He smiled as he recognized the song. Black Velvet.  
  
Buffy emerged slowly from the darkness and his jaw about hit the floor. She was dressed in a short black velvet skirt with a white silk sleeveless shirt. Her hair was swept up into a twist with a few tendrils falling around her face. She smiled. "Ready for your lesson?"  
  
He smiled. "Always." He went to take her hand but she stopped him.  
  
"This time we're going to try something a little different." She slid one of her legs between his and rested her hands on his shoulders. "Let's see if we can make Patrick Swayze jealous." She pressed her hips to his and smiled.  
  
He took a moment to get adjusted to her boldness then smiled. "That's easy." He wrapped an arm around her waist and dipped her back, bending his knee to support her weight on it. She gasped as he did so and was smiling when he brought her back up and began to move against her to the music.  
  
//Black velvet in that little boy's smile. Black velvet with that slow southern style. A new religion that'll bring her to her knees. Blank velvet if you please...//  
  
Not only were the notes and the singer's voice sounding as smooth and velvety as the song, but the way their bodies connected was so fluid. His hand slid down and cupped her bottom as he moved her against him. She involuntarily moaned and pulled him closer. They couldn't really tell when the song ended because she had put it on loop. They didn't care either. They just danced. It was more intimate than anything either had experienced before. They didn't need to have sex or to even speak words. They only needed to feel the fuel for the fire. They needed that delicate balance of body and soul.  
  
Her hand played with the hair at the nap of neck as she locked eyes with him and pulled him down to her. She pressed her lips to his and prayed for a similar response from him.  
  
She didn't have to wait long. He kissed her back with the passion that she gave him, teasing her mouth open with his tongue so he could explore the warmth of her mouth. This kiss didn't stop their dance however, only intensified it. Both of them were gasping between their kiss. He slipped his hand under her skirt, up her thigh and rested it on her bare hip, grinding himself against her. She lifted her leg up over his hip and flung her head back. He took the opportunity to trail kisses down her neck.  
  
When the lights flew on he dropped her to the ground with a thud.  
  
"Oh wow." Willow stood gaping at the doorway.  
  
Giles turned off the CD player then offered his hand to Buffy. "Willow, was there something you needed?"  
  
She swallowed. "Uh, I uh, just wanted to get, uh, Buffy's help on... You know I think I've interrupted." She turned and bolted out the door.  
  
Buffy sighed and straightened her skirt, then looked up at him shyly. "So, thank you..." She smiled and went to the CD player to put away her CD.  
  
He came up behind her and put his hands on her waist. "Buffy..."  
  
She whipped around. "Giles, we can't. This isn't right and I'm sorry. I think the dance lessons are done." She sucked in a breath then returned to unplugging the CD player.  
  
He was in shock. "But I thought that..." He trailed off as she picked up her bag. "Buffy, you don't have to go."  
  
She looked back at him once as she headed to the door. "Yeah, I do." With that, she left. 


	3. Let Me Break It Down For You Again

*~*~*~*~*  
  
That night Buffy lay in bed, thinking. What would have happened if Willow hadn't of walked in? She had felt the fire of Giles' touch and the passion in his kiss. She longed for more.  
  
Frustrated, she grunted and sat up. What was she thinking? This was Giles we were talking about! This was way wrong on so many levels. To start off small there was the age difference. That she could get passed. Next was the fact that he was her Watcher. She could get passed that too. But then there was their friendship and mutual respect for each other. She didn't want to lose that. She didn't want to lose him.  
  
She stood and began pacing franticly. There had to be a way out of this. But did she really want "out?" She stopped pacing and looked over herself. She was still in the black velvet skirt. She couldn't bring herself to change out of it. It still had his scent on it. She could still feel where he had touched her bare thigh.  
  
"Buffy?"  
  
She turned to the voice in the doorway. "Hi."  
  
Willow stepped in and closed the door. "You wanna talk?"  
  
"What's there to talk about?" she smiled.  
  
The redhead wasn't falling for it. "Buffy, are you and Giles in love?" Her tone was understanding.  
  
Her smile fell off. "I don't know," she admitted as she sat on the bed. "It was supposed to be just dance lessons. To help Giles stay in shape. But what you saw..."  
  
"Was kinky?" Willow giggled.  
  
Buffy's jaw dropped in awe. "That's not what I was going to say!" She turned a bright pink.  
  
"Hey, it's okay. You and Giles looked right together. Wiggy, but right." She wrapped her friend in a hug.  
  
Buffy sighed. "Do you think he feels the same?"  
  
Willow nodded. "Definitely."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
"You never put pigs wart by the cow heals. It won't sell." Anya continued complaining about the organization of the shelves, but Giles couldn't really hear her. He leaned on the counter and looked over his ledger, but his eyes wouldn't focus. All he could think about was the softness of her skin and the light scent of vanilla in her hair.   
  
"Are you listening?" Somehow Anya had managed to walk in front of him and stand there, her arms crossed. "You need to pay more attention. This information could be very valuable to the business."  
  
He removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "Anya, I am really not in the mood to listen to all of this right now. I have more important things on my mind right now."  
  
"Like black velvet?"  
  
He snapped his eyes up to her. "Pardon?"  
  
She reached over the counter and pulled out a CD. "I found this in the walkway. It's called 'Black Velvet.' I figured it was yours." She handed it to him. "I listened to it. Not bad."  
  
Giles took the CD reluctantly. Just touching the CD he remembered the feel of the velvet skirt she wore. "I believe this is Buffy's."  
  
Anya watched him. "You'd like her for an orgasm friend, wouldn't you?"  
  
"Anya! No I would not! That was a very uncalled for question!" He set the CD aside and returned to his books. "Have you changed the price on pinion?"  
  
"Yes, but that's not what I want to talk about now." She propped her elbows on the counter. "You're in love with her aren't you?"  
  
He kept his eyes on the book. "She's a very dear friend. Yes I love her."  
  
She shook her head. "Not like that. I mean like I love Xander."  
  
Still, his eyes stayed on the book. "What would give you that impression?"  
  
A smile tugged on her lips. "Well, yesterday when you asked Xander and I to watch the store while you were in 'training' I heard that music playing. Then Willow was blushing so hard when she came from there that I can only assume you and Buffy were having sexual intercourse."  
  
He slammed the book closed. "She and I have never done that. And I believe that this is not a suitable conversation to have while working."  
  
"I'm on a break."  
  
He sighed. "There is nothing you need to know about."  
  
Her look softened. "It's obvious she feels the same. I mean, she wouldn't have worn that slutty outfit otherwise."  
  
"Don't you ever refer to her as that!" His tone had taken an edge and it looked like he would have almost come over the counter to strike her.  
  
But Anya only smiled. "You know if you just tell her then you two can get pelvic."  
  
He glared. "That's not what I care about."  
  
"Oh, I'm sure it's not the only thing you care about. But you'd like to. Giles, you and Buffy belong together. Face it. Now go." She took the book from him. "Go to her, tell her you love her and stop being miserable."  
  
He grinned slightly and headed out the door. 


	4. Pushing the Grind

Lyrics: "Jupiter" by Jewel  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Giles paused when he reached the front door to Buffy's house. This was ridiculous. He couldn't be in love with his charge. This wasn't right. Even though she felt so right in his arms. He hesitated before he turned to leave.  
  
The door opened. "Giles?" Dawn poked her head out. "I didn't hear you knock."  
  
He cleared his throat. "Uh, yes. Sorry, I was just going to, um, get something from my car. But it can wait. Is Buffy home?"  
  
She nodded and opened the door wider. "Upstairs. Willow's here."  
  
He stepped inside and felt as nervous as a schoolboy. "Thank you." Each step he took up the stairs felt like it weighed a thousand tons. He could hear the light charm of her voice filtering out of her room and stopped. They were talking about him.  
  
"Will, we went over this last night. I don't think he feels the same. I mean, it was just a dance to him."  
  
"Then why did he kiss you?"  
  
There was a pause. "It's still not a good idea. I mean, I don't want to lose his friendship or trust if this goes bad."  
  
He took in a breath. You could never lose me, he thought to himself.  
  
"But how are you going to know if you never talk to him about it?"  
  
"I don't think I can. I'm scared he's going to say it was a mistake."  
  
He cleared his throat as he stepped closer to signal them that he was approaching. The talking ceased, as he knew it would and he knocked on the frame of her door as he peeked in. "Hello?"  
  
They were both sitting on her bed, Buffy holding her stuffed pig, Mr. Gordo, and Willow looking up at him. "Giles!" the redhead proclaimed.  
  
He smiled to them both. "Good morning, ladies." He locked eyes with the woman he loved. "Hello, Buffy."  
  
She couldn't help but smile at him. "Hi, Giles."  
  
Willow looked at the two of them. "Wow! Would you look at the time? I gotta go. Places to go, people to not be interrupting." Before protests could be made, she grabbed her bag and darted out the door.  
  
An awkward silence fell over them.  
  
He sighed and sat on the bed across to her, his back to her. "I miss you."  
  
She looked at his back and waited. Watching.  
  
He continued. "Your dance set me free and I realized that there is nothing I want more than to be dancing with you forever. In my heart." This time he turned to her. "I'm in love with you."  
  
Her eyes brimmed with tears, but other than that her expression remained blank. "You are?"  
  
He nodded. "The question I have is: Do you love me?"  
  
She answered him by pulling him across the bed to her and crushing her lips to his. "Of course I do!" she breathed when they came up for air.  
  
He smiled. "Dance with me?"  
  
She nodded and leaped up to her CD player, popping in a CD. When the music started, Buffy smiled. He looked to her in a bit of confusion.  
  
"What song is this?" he asked as he wrapped his arms around her waist. She didn't need to tell him though. The words spoke for themselves.  
  
//Venus de Milo in her half baked shell... Understood the nature of love very well... She said 'a good love is delicious you can't get enough to soon, it makes you so crazy you want to swallow the moon...'//  
  
He smiled and looked down at her. She had her eyes closed and was swaying gently to the music. He realized that they had so much in common it was no wonder that they had found each other.  
  
//Take these stars from my crown, let the years fall down... Lay me out in firelight, let my skin feel the night... Fasten me to your side... Say it will be soon... You make me so crazy baby... Could swallow the moon...//  
  
They had both been through so much. Both were joined in this quest forever to stop darkness. Both were joined in pain as they watched loved ones die, betray and leave them.  
  
//My hands are two travelers they've crossed oceans and land... But they are too small on the continent of your skin... Wandering, wandering... I could spend my life, traveling the length of your body each night...//  
  
They had purpose and they had survived Hell. They stood by each other and yet at the same time battled their own demons alone.   
  
//Take these stars...//  
  
They had done so much and hurt so much and left so much to fate and given in to what their destiny was.  
  
//Let my skin feel the night...//  
  
The song slowly died and he noticed that they had stopped dancing way before that. They were watching each other. Buffy had tears in her eyes. She must have seen it too.  
  
When she spoke, her voice was full of emotion. "We can't be together."  
  
He pressed his lips together and nodded. "I think you're right." He pulled her close to him and held her head to his heart. "You will always be here."  
  
She couldn't help it. She started crying. "Why? Why is it like this?"  
  
He held back his own tears. "Because we have another purpose and those we love always get hurt if we get too close. And I can't hurt you."  
  
She sniffled back a few sobs and looked up at him. "Once last kiss?"  
  
He tilted her head to him and kisses her lips gently. He could taste the salt from some tears that had fallen. "I will always love you and be here for you, but you know that we can't be anything more."  
  
She nodded and pulled back from his arms. "Now we know." She wiped at her eyes and nodded again, reaffirming herself. "We were meant to be alone."  
  
He stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Not alone, Buffy. Just not to feel the type of love that requires such commitment that we disregard our duties. That's when people get hurt."  
  
The room suddenly felt cold to her and she pulled out a sweater, throwing it on. "I understand."  
  
He walked to her and hugged her. "I'll always be here for you. I love you."  
  
She hugged him back. "I love you too."  
  
*~*~*~*~*  
  
Giles stood at the counter of the Magic Box the next morning and watched Anya move things about once again. She noticed him watching and stopped. "What's wrong with you?"  
  
He chuckled. "Where to begin?" He sighed. "Buffy and I aren't going to be together."  
  
Anya tilted her head slightly. "Why not?"  
  
He removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "It's complicated. It has to do with destiny."  
  
She nodded. "I was wondering if that was going to happen." She turned to arrange something else. "In that case I think you made a right choice. I mean, who needs to be happy, right? There's destiny to be had. Why have more suffering fighting destiny? It's going to happen anyway because it's destiny, right? So why draw it out to be painful."  
  
He listened to her words and thought about it. "Right."  
  
She whipped around to face him. "You think I'm right?"  
  
He smiled. "Anya, this time I must agree with you. I don't want suffering to be something that I cause Buffy. And I think this is the best way."  
  
Anya looked a bit bewildered. "Oh." She nodded. "Good. It's about time people started listening to me. I mean, I have a lot of valuable input. Like about Willow's haircut. Who is she fooling?"  
  
Anya's voice drifted away as he thought about it. It would never matter what they wanted. Destiny was destiny and you could never see it coming. How do you fight an enemy that you can't see? You don't. So he would stand by her, and be there for her, but he wouldn't push destiny's plan aside for his own happiness. That wasn't fair. So he'd be alone.  
  
//You make me so crazy, baby... Could swallow the moon...// 


End file.
